DISCLAIMER: NOTHING IS MINE 8(

A/N: Sorry for the late updates… I am being overwhelmed with all kinds of work… I'll try and update faster…

CHAPTER 7: LOST

It has been a month and Hermione Granger concluded, if Draco Malfoy wasn't avoiding her, she'd have sworn he was dead. She couldn't understand. Everything that day went by so well, and then the next day he just seemed to disappear. She'd see him in class, but she never approached him. She was too afraid to show him that one weakness in her, the insecurity of making friends. Even at the age of eleven, although she was labeled the smartest witch in her class, she didn't make any friends until she lied for Harry and Ron after the whole Troll incident. She was always afraid that at that young age, they really didn't care about her. As time went on, she found out that their bond was much deeper. But when she was forced to make new friends, it became an issue.

"ugh…" Hermione groaned in frustration. She couldn't concentrate on her work anymore. She felt like she had made a terrible mistake in defending him to Harry. If she had known he was going to blow her off immediately the next day, well frankly she wouldn't have cared if he was the one who saved her from the lake, she would've just ignored him like always. "Focus Hermione… you have a quiz on this tomorrow…"

"Is something the matter?" Harry asked from across the table. They were in the Head common room studying when he heard the low groan.

"No… well… it's just that I can't seem to concentrate on any of this. It's like a whole new me. I can't seem to focus on anything else but hi… I mean…"

"Wait, what were you going to say? Him? Who him? Hermione…"

"Harry… I don't know… I keep thinking about Dra…MAL… Damn it not AGAIN!" Hermione exclaimed. "I keep thinking about how I defended him, and then we went outside and took a walk around the lake. It was nice; it was like we were two strangers who just met. But by the next day he just turned his Malfoyness on again or something and he keeps avoiding me!"

"You say that as if it were a bad thing." Harry said tensely. "If I were you I'd be glad to be rid of that no good fer…"

"Harry it's just that I think he's going through some rough ti…"

"Don't Hermione… Don't even THINK about finishing that sentence. You know as well as I do the reason Dumbledore's not here, and yet you sit here and act as if it never happened! As if just because he's hurting now, it didn't occur." Harry finished, with his voice nearing shouting.

"Harry, you and I both know that, but… think of it this way. In August, if I had found out a way to save both my parents, let's say by stealing a precious stone or something, Harry you and I both know we'd have been all over it, trying to retrieve it and use it. It's the same for him. He lost his father and mother albeit they are horrible people, bonds to your parents never die. I don't think I'd go as far as killing someone, but if it was YOUR only choice to live AND save your parents, I'm sure you'd have taken it also."

"You're defending him again!" Harry shouted. "Hermione, are you sure there is nothing wrong with you? I can't believe you. You know what that family did to Ginny second year and even to you!"

"What are you…"

"I didn't want to have to tell you this, but the night that you drowned we found out who killed your parents. I was going to tell you the next day, but after the incident, I didn't think you'd be able to handle it. And would you like to know who it was? None other than the Malfoy pair, Narcissa and Lucius. He's escaped Hermione, he's gotten out and there is no stop to them now."

"I can't… I mean, I figured after the second year when he saw them…, he'd be the only… oh my… I can't believe…" Hermione couldn't even speak. She had thought countless numbers of times that it'd be Lucius, but the assurance he was in Azkaban was what prevented any further investigation. "I think… I'm going to bed…" Hermione said hurriedly. She didn't even pack her books up. She just got up and ran up the stairs to her private quarters.

She hated that family, and worse she hated herself. She couldn't believe she had been defending him again. Of all people… it had to be HIM. Silent tears fell freely as she made her way to her bed. She wanted to just sleep and forget any of this had happened. The problem was, now that she had so much in her head, she couldn't go to sleep. Images of what might've happened to her parents by the once nameless, faceless Deatheaters floated into her mind, except they are no longer faceless or nameless.

She had initially wanted to know… but now knowing only made her afraid. She thought if she found out who murdered her parents she would get a surge of vengeance with in her, but none of the bravery came to her that night. She just lay in bed letting her tears soak her pillow. She laid there in that position as exhaustion over took her body. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a small "tap tap" on her window. She slowly got up and walked over to the window. Seeing that it was one of the school owls, she opened the window and let it in. It was carrying a small envelope with her name on the front. She took it from the owl and gave it a small treat she kept in her room, usually for Hedwig.

As the school owl flew away, she opened the envelope and began to read what was written on the letter.

HG

We need to meet. You and I both may be in great danger.

Be careful of all people you speak to. Tell no one of our meeting.

I also need to tell you something about your parents. Meet me

at the Room of Requirement eight.

DM

It was a short letter, but it said enough for her to worry. Should she go… should she tell someone… she didn't know what to do. She also wondered what it was he was going to tell her about her parents… maybe… just maybe he has really changed… maybe he was going to apologize… no… no… that couldn't be, she realized she was bringing her hopes up for nothing.

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The next morning Hermione woke up with feeling even more tired than the night before. She had gotten no sleep at all. She had too much on her plate to worry about already, now she had one more to add on. Draco. She couldn't understand him at all. How could he just ignore her for a month then expect her to trust him enough to go to a secret meeting without telling anyone. She had to be rational. It could be a trap… but then again by the way that he had ignored her, he could've been doing it to protect her… or himself. She just didn't know what to do. Her mind told her no… but her conscience was telling her she HAD to go.

"Yea but the test was okay, and Dean thinks that I am probably… might be pregnant with Ron's child."

"That's good… Wait… What!"

"Well at least that got your attention."

"Oh… sorry about that… I just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No I'd rather not… you know what actually… I do… the thing is last night Harry told me… about my parent's death… you know…"

"umm… oh… Oh…oh… I see… is it bothering you that much?"

"Well that's not the full brunt of it. You know how I defended Malfoy to Harry about a month ago?"

"Yea… but what does…"

"Well he's been avoiding me… we had spent the rest of the day together and then by the next day it was like we had never even met each other."

"okay… but I still don't see how…"

"I got a letter from him last night. Just before I went to bed, I was on my bed when I heard a tap. It was a school owl and it was a letter from him. It said we're both in danger… that we need to meet. The problem is he said to tell no one."

"Then it's a trap…"

"But what if it isn't? I mean what if that night something happened where he was forced to avoid me at all costs? Then it won't be a trap… and if I don't go I'll never know…"

"Hermione what is your mind telling you?"

"not to go…"

"Well then it's settl…"

"it's not because my conscience is telling me I HAVE to go. You know my curiosity Ginny… I… I… just don't know."

"well think about it this way. If I hear nothing from you by… when and where are you meeting him?"

"Oh yea at eight in the room of requirement."

"Well if I hear nothing from you… nothing at ALL then I will round up the gang and go looking for you. I'll give you two hours. So by 10:00 Hermione, if I hear nothing… not one peep from you I will go looking for you."

"Okay… thanks Ginny… promise you won't tell a soul until 10:00 though… okay…"

"yea yea… you just be safe."

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"Hermione, you came. I was afraid you were going to think it was a trap."

"I did… but…"

"I'm glad you came." He said with a slight smile. "But I'm afraid Pansy suspects something… we need to get in quick before she arrives."

"I don't know… I think we should go and speak with a professor or something…"

"If I thought a professor would be able to help I would've gone to one in the first place. Now hurry, I think I hear someone coming." Hermione reluctantly went into the room of requirement.

"Draco… what… what kind of room did you ask for?" Hermione asked as she turned around. To her surprise her eyes met with dark brown ones instead of the familiar gray.